Posting tray and binder



Apmi 15, 1924.

,729 w. F. BLOCK POSTING TRAY AND BI' ER Filed May 5, 1919 2 Shees-Sheet1 INVENTOR h l'lkelm E3100 April '15, 1924. 1,490,729

, w. F. BLOCK POSTING TRAY AND BINDER Filed May 5, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN "EN TOR Wl/zelm EBlOc/i.

Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILHELM L BLOCK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

POSTING TRAY AND BINDER.

Application filed May 5,

T all whom it may concern p Be it known that I, VVILHELM F. BLOCK, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Posting Trays and Binders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention 1 relates to p posting and binding trays, particularlyadapted for use in mechanical bookkeeping systems.

In most mechanical bookkeeping systems now used, it is common practiceto have trays, within which ledger sheets may be held and from whichthey may be readily transferred for posting. These sheets are usuallyheld in individual, binders which must be separately loosened andremoved in order to allow the posting operation.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a set ofcomplementary trays, one of which is used for binding purposes and theother for posting, and which trays will conveniently accommodate ledgersheets both to bind them and to permit them to be instantly separatedand posted.

The present invention contemplates the use of a posting tray which ispermanently mounted upon a base and is provided with a sliding leaf bywhich posting will be facilitated when ledger sheets are transferredfrom a binding tray, said binding tray being movable and equipped with abinding member by which the sheets may be temporarily secured inposition thereon without the use of other binding means. i

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- 7 Fig. 1 is a view in plan, illustrating the bindingand posting trays mounted upon a base for use.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation, disclosing the trays, as shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in central section through both of the trays, as seenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. j

'Fig. 1 is a View in perspective, disclosing the binding tray.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, indicates a base member.This member is preferably rectangular in shape and has opposite siderails 11 and12-connected at their ends by end rails 13 and 14. Thisformation provides a rectangular opening in the center of the base,within which the brackets 14 and 14 of the trays may 1919. Serial N0.294,758.

15 which in the binding tray provide a suit- I able substructure "for aninclined sheet-metal floor 16. Upon this floor the ledger sheets areadapted to rest. In this tray the floor 16 has a central rectangulardepression 17, within whicha clamping jaw 18 is slidably mounted. Thisjaw is intended to move laterally of the floor 16 and is fitted with athreaded sleeve 19 operating upon a lock screw 20. The end of the lockscrew 20 is squared, as indicated at 22, to receive a suitable key bywhich the screw may be rotated and the lock jaw 18 moved along therecess.

The floor 16 of the binding tray is formed with an upturned ledge 23.This ledge occurs at the lower or rear end of the floor and stands atright angles to the main floor. The height of this ledge correspondssubstantially to the height of the clamping jaw 18. Formed as acontinuation of the ledge is a back plate at which is hinged along'theupper edge of the ledge by means of hinge members 25, as clearlyindicated in Fig. 4. Due to this construction the ledge 23 and the jaw18 Will act to provide gripping means for a plurality of ledger sheets,as indicated at 26, at the same time allowing the back plate 2 1 toswing and thus to feather edge the ledger sheets held upon this tray.

In order to adjustably hold the back plate 24, a slotted bracket 27 issecured to the plate and extends rearwardly and downwardly on an arc ofa circle concentric with the hinges 25. The bracket 27 is engaged by alock screw 28, carried upon the standard 29 at the rear ofthe board 15.This screw is fitted with a wing-nut 31 by which the bracket may beclamped and the back held as desired. I

The binding tray is generally indicated at A, while the'posting tray isindicated at B. The posting tray is formed with spaced side floors 16and 33 are substantially the same,

thus making it convenient to read the ledger sheets and to carry themfrom the binding tray to the posting tray.

It is preferable that a rigid end leaf 35 be secured to the back member34:, and upon one end thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1. This leaf isimmovable, which is in contradistinction to a movable leaf 36 mountedupon the opposite end of the'posting tray. lhe leaf 36 is formed with anextension having slots 37 which are engaged by lock bolts 38, and

' which permit the leaf to be moved in and out in the direction of arrowa, as indicated in Fig. 1. By this means the leaves and 36 may beadjustably spaced in relation to each other and will facilitate theposting operation, when desired.

It will be understood that while the base member 10 is here shown asformed to dispose the binding and posting trays'one in front of theother, it is to be considered within the spirit of the present inventionto form the base with a side extension, so that the trays may be mountedalongside of each other, when desired.

In operation, the binding tray is filled with ,a desired number ofledger sheets and these are mounted to rest upon the floor and to leanagainst the back plate 24. The adjusting screw 20 is then rotated bymeans of a suitable key and the jaw 18 drawn toward the ledge 23 of thefloor. This will clamp the lower edge of the ledger sheets in place andat the same time will permit them to be easily referred to. In thisconnection attention is directed to the fact that the clamping jaw 18does not extend the length of the floor 16 but is comparatively short,so that the ends of the ledger sheets may be referred to withoutreleasing them.

When the sheets are bound, as indicated in Fig. 3, the binding tray maybe placed at any convenient position for reference, as, for example, itmay be disposed upon the tellers desk for use during banking hours; and,as it is light and portable, may be easily carried to the bookkeepingmachine for use with the posting tray B. When the base member 10 isformed as shown in the drawings, the binding tray is mounted directly infront of the posting tray and in this position the operator reaches overthe posting tray to obtain the ledger sheets.

In the event that the operator desires to post the accounts, the leaf 36is moved outwardly from the side of the back 3A and thereafter set.lVhen this is done the ledger sheets are successively moved from thehinding tray and may be partially segregated when deposited on theposting tray, so that the unposted accounts will rest with their endsagainst the leaf 33 and the posted accounts against the adjustable leaf36. If the accounts are not to be posted, the leaf 36 may be moved inagainst the side of the back 341,

as will be understood. After the posting operation, the ledger sheetsmay be collected and lifted back on to the binding tray and thereafterclamped by a slight movement of the screw 20.

It will thus be seen that the trays here disclosed may be very easilyand inexpensively manufactured, and when used in connection with thework intended will provide simple and quickly operating means forbinding ledger sheets and for permitting them to be posted and rebound.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known tome, it will be understood that various changes in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. A tray structure for mechanical bookkeepingsystems comprising a fixed posting tray, a base upon which said tray ismounted, and a binding tray adapted to be removably positioned upon saidbase.

2. A tray structure for mechanical bookkeeping systems, comprising aposting tray adapted to receive ledger sheets and a binding traycomplementary to the posting tray and by which the ledger sheets may betemporarily bound.

3. A tray structure for mechanical bookkeeping systems, comprising abase, a posting tray fixed thereon, a binding tray detachably seatedthereon, and means incorporated in the structure of the binding tray fortemporarily clamping ledger sheets in position thereon.

4:. A tray structure for mechanical bookkeeping systems, comprising abase, a posting tray secured thereupon, said tray having an inclinedfloor and an inclined back secured at right angles to each other, and adetachable binding tray adapted to be seated upon the base having aninclined back and floor at right angles to each other and disposed withits floor and back at opposite angles from the vertical to the angles ofthe floor and back of the posting tray.

5. A tray structure comprising a base, a posting tray fixed at one endthereof and having an inclined fioor and a back wall at right angles toeach other, a binding tray adapted to be detachably disposed upon thebase and having an inclined back and floor at right angles to each otherand being positioned by the base so that its floor and the floor of theposting tray will stand at equal angles to the horizontal and extend inopposite directions. 7

6. In a tray structure, a base, a posting tray fixed thereon having aninclined floor,

a fixed end leaf at one end of the back, and an adjustable end leaf atthe opposite end of the back.

7. In a device of the character described, a tray having a base portion,an inclined fioor mounted thereupon, a back leaf hinged thereto andadapted to be adjusted in relation thereto, and clamping means whereby aplurality of ledger sheets may be secured upon the tray.

8. A binding tray comprising a base portion, an inclined floor, a ledgeformed as a continuation of the rear edge thereof and extending at rightangles to the floor, a back hinged to the upper edge of the ledge, means15 for adjusting the angular disposition of the back, a movable jawmounted upon the floor, and clamping means for operating the same,whereby a gripping action will be exerted between the jaw and the ledgeof the floor. 20

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILHELM F. BLOCK.

Witnesses:

W. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING.

